Indiana school districts pose ballot questions for May

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Voters in a select few Indiana communities will see more than primary races on their ballots on May 3.

Eight school corporations in Indiana have placed property tax levy referenda on the May ballot.

Edinburgh Community School Corp., Griffith Public School Corp., Mount Vernon Community School Corp., and Valparaiso Community School Corp. each will ask voters to increase their property tax levy for eight years to cover operating expenses.

In each case, teacher salaries would take up the largest portion of the extra revenue but academic programs, bus drivers, and security improvements would receive funding as well.

Perry Township School Corp. has an operating tax ballot question as well, but voters there will decide whether to extend an existing tax levy rather than impose a new one.

Under state law, school corporations can ask for a tax levy increase to fund any school building construction project costing at least $10 million.

Franklin Township Community School Corp. and Vigo County School Corp. both have high school renovation projects planned.

Unique among school corporations this time around, Lebanon Community School Corporation will have both an operating tax levy question and a construction question. Officials there want to build a new elementary school and renovate three more, along with their middle and high school buildings.

Early voting is underway. With the exception of Griffith Public School Corp., all of the school systems with ballot questions this spring are located in vote center counties. In those counties, voters go to at any polling location they wish as long as they live in the county.